To the Editor:
On Thursday, May 9, I attended the discussion about the future of the education department here at the College. I left this discussion with a variety of mixed feelings. I was deeply moved by the reactions of the students. The students here care for, love and respect the education department, do not want it to become disbanded, and are willing to do anything to keep it.
A good portion of the students had done research on the success of this department, and I felt that they were much more prepared than Assistant Dean of the Faculty George Wolford, who led the discussion. However, I also left this meeting deeply upset, as a result of the lack of respect that Dartmouth students were given at this discussion. We were supplied with no concrete information. Dean Wolford was unable to answer the majority of the extremely legitimate questions that were posed. Instead of answering the questions, he evaded them. I feel that if this school is going to disband one if its departments, it should be able to provide the student body with explicit details as to why it is being dissolved. We received no such information last Thursday night.
During the course of this discussion, the most frequent question was one that asked for specific reasons as to why the school wants to dissolve the education department. Dean Wolford, in his opening remarks on the situation, mentioned that the department was having "structural difficulties," and it was just not working correctly. He was unable to elaborate on this comment, no matter how many people asked him for some clarification. The only somewhat specific reason he gave was that the numbers of students going through the Teacher Preparation Program has been steadily decreasing over the years, with this year's graduation class having only twelve students in the program. Since this is the only specific information we received, this is the subject I will address.
After learning about the small number of students in this Teacher Training Program, I decided to make some inquiries. I discovered that the religion department has only ten majors this year. Well, since this number is so small, less than the 12 seniors in the Teacher Training Program, should we disband the religion department as well, and make it into a program? It's only ten students, right? And how about the physics department? There are 14 physics majors this year, yet I don't see the school talking about disbanding this department. And finally, let's look at the drama department. This year, there are five drama majors in addition to modified or double majors. Should this department also be dissolved, due to lack of student majors? The answer is no. I feel that all three of these departments are integral to the College, along with each and every other academic subject here at Dartmouth. So why should we not feel the same way about the education department? The number of students participating in this department is comparable to the numbers of majors in numerous other departments here on campus, so why should it be dissolved while the rest are allowed to remain? The answer is clear. It should not be dissolved, plain and simple!
I went to this discussion because I feel that education is very important. I value the education I am getting here at Dartmouth, and I cannot think of a nobler profession for a person to join. My former teachers have made tremendous impacts on my life. And I am appalled that this department might soon be no more. Although there might only be twelve people per class who choose to go through the Teacher Preparation Program, does that mean that this department should be terminated?
Dartmouth College does not feel that other departments with small numbers of majors should be terminated, so why should it feel that way about the education department? It shouldn't. And maybe, just maybe, if there was an education major, more people would participate in it.
